Chapter 252: My Lady Priestess Has Returned

After setting up the Protective Array, Evangeline quietly left the Frost-plain Tribe.

Thorne was still waiting for her, ready to accompany her to the base of Thorncliff.

Fat snowflakes drifted down, and there was scarcely a living creature to be seen along the way. Then, a tall, slender figure appeared amid the swirling snow.

"Eva—" The moment Thorne saw Evangeline, his dark green eyes lit up.

He strode through the deep snow, swept Evangeline up, and pulled her tightly into his embrace. Glancing at the empty expanse of white behind her, he raised an eyebrow. "The Frost-plain Tribe wasn’t willing to leave Norfell with us?"

Evangeline wrapped her arms around Thorne’s neck as he carried her, tilting her head. "And the Grymdale Tribe?"

Recalling the look on Elias Moretti’s face, Thorne scoffed. "You should’ve seen that coming."

Evangeline’s lips curved. She rested her head against Thorne and said softly, "Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet the Fallen Beastmen."

Thorne wrapped Evangeline tighter in his large cloak and nodded. "Alright."

Evangeline tore open a Teleportation Scroll, and vanished from the spot along with Thorne.

The two of them appeared beneath Thorncliff. As a place punished by the Beast God, the effects of the rainy season and the Cold Season were much more severe here.

The snow beneath Thorncliff was already waist-deep. The surroundings were deathly silent, and the chill seemed to pierce to the bone.

"So this is where the Fallen Beastmen are exiled?" Thorne asked, holding Evangeline and surveying their surroundings with curiosity.

Evangeline nodded, her narrow eyes peering out from within the cloak.

"So, where to now?" Thorne asked, taking a few difficult steps forward.

Evangeline scanned their surroundings before tilting her chin in a certain direction. "The Wyndsong Tribe isn’t far from here. That way."

"The Wyndsong Tribe?" Thorne blinked in surprise. "The Fallen Beastmen have tribes of their own?"

’This was unexpected. He’d always assumed the Fallen Beastmen lived wretched lives. He never imagined they would have their own tribes. In that case, they weren’t so different from regular Beastman Tribes, were they?’

Evangeline nodded slightly and said softly, "Mhm. Caden Albright was once the leader of the Wyndsong Tribe."

’As the first male she’d won over, her time at Thorncliff with him had been quite sweet.’

A flicker of emotion crossed Thorne’s eyes, and his arms around Evangeline tightened. He evidently remembered why Evangeline had come to Thorncliff in the first place.

「Wyndsong Tribe.」

Evangeline gazed at the transformed tribe in surprise.

’When she first came to Thorncliff and saw the Fallen Beastmen’s settlements, her first impression was that they were like bandit lairs. But now, they looked just like any other Beastman Tribe—or perhaps even better.’

Thorne was also surprised. He took a couple of steps forward with Evangeline in his arms, only to be stopped.

"You’re... a Beastman?" The Wyndsong Tribe guard stared at the Eight-star pattern on Thorne’s forehead, his eyes wide.

’Beastmen rarely came to Thorncliff. The last one had been their former leader’s female—that incredibly skilled and powerful witch who had taught them the art of brewing. She was a great benefactor to all the Fallen Beastmen.’

’Unfortunately, she had left with their former leader, Rhys Finch, and their whereabouts were unknown.’

Before Thorne could speak, Evangeline had already pulled back the cloak, revealing her face. "Reno, do you still remember me?"

At her words, the Wyndsong Tribe guard froze. His lips began to tremble as he cried out shrilly, "My Lady Priestess?!"

As if in disbelief, he reached up and rubbed his eyes.

Evangeline let out a soft chuckle. "Reno, I’d like to see your leader."

’Reno took a deep breath, finally realizing this wasn’t an illusion. It was real. The witch Evangeline had truly come back! She was back in their Wyndsong Tribe!’

At that thought, Reno bolted toward the tribe, shouting as he ran, "My Lady Priestess is back—!"

Watching Reno’s ecstatic reaction, Thorne narrowed his eyes. "What on earth did you do here at Thorncliff? Why is this Fallen Beastman so..."

Evangeline’s lips curved into a smile. "I just helped them with a few minor issues."

As she spoke, Reno’s shouts sent the Wyndsong Tribe into an uproar.

The Beastmen poured out of their homes. The pitch-black patterns on their foreheads made Thorne instinctively tense up.

’Even though he knew the Fallen Beastmen were different from what he’d expected, seeing so many at once still made him nervous. These were people who had devoured the Beast Crystals of their own kin. How could they be anything but trouble?’

’Still, whatever Eva wanted, he would support her.’

The Fallen Beastman at the head of the group wore a long robe with a feather tucked into his hair, setting him apart from the others.

’Thorne’s gaze immediately fell on this somewhat ornately dressed Beastman. He had to be the leader of the Wyndsong Tribe.’

And sure enough, as he drew closer, the other Beastmen parted to let him through.

Evangeline looked at the familiar face before her and broke into a smile. "The Ravening Wolves, long time no see."

That’s right. After Caden Albright’s departure, The Ravening Wolves had become the new leader of the Wyndsong Tribe. Though he only possessed the strength of a Five-star pattern, his body was still covered in dense, gray-black fur, and his one eye held a ferocious glint.

However, when he got a clear look at Evangeline, his one remaining eye reddened. "My Lady Priestess..."

Evangeline blinked and tilted her head. "You’re the tribe leader now. Are you sure you want to cry?"

At her words, The Ravening Wolves roughly wiped his eyes and said gruffly, "Before you, My Lady Priestess, and Chief Rhys Finch, I’ll always just be The Ravening Wolves. What’s wrong with crying? Who’d dare laugh at me?"

As he spoke, he glanced around, only to find that no one was paying him any mind.

All eyes were on Evangeline. After all, it hadn’t been that long since she’d last left, and the tribe was still full of the same people. To them, Evangeline was like an emissary sent by the Beast God to save them; she had practically become an object of their faith.

The Ravening Wolves glanced at Thorne but didn’t venture a question. Instead, he turned eagerly to Evangeline. "My Lady Priestess, the snow is coming down so hard! Come on, let’s get inside and warm up!"

Evangeline murmured her assent, and the group made their way through the settlement, which was constructed from sand and earth.

A wave of warmth washed over them as they entered a hut constructed from thorny vines and beast skin.

Thorne set Evangeline down and brushed the snowflakes from his shoulders.

Meanwhile, the other Beastmen hurried to bring food from their homes: dried, shriveled dates that were surprisingly sweet; freshly roasted meat; and milk fruit. The Ravening Wolves carried over several bamboo tubes that gave off the faint aroma of wine.

"My Lady Priestess! This is all the wine we brewed after you left. Would you like to try some?"

’Thorne glanced over with curiosity. Wine. They had drunk it back in Blackwater Swamp. It was highly addictive.’

Evangeline raised a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "There’s time to taste it later. I came because I have something to discuss with you. If you agree, I might also need your help contacting the other tribes."

The Ravening Wolves froze, both puzzled and curious. "Whatever you need, My Lady Priestess, just ask."

Her brow smoothed, and she said after a moment of thought, "I want to lead the Fallen Beastmen away from Thorncliff."